


Match Point

by Riddle_Me_This_Darling



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Closeted Character, M/M, Male Slash, Non-Consensual Groping, One-Sided Attraction, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 05:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7963975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riddle_Me_This_Darling/pseuds/Riddle_Me_This_Darling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternative outcome for the scene where Mr Bates slams Thomas against a wall...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Match Point

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, welcome to my quick little one-shot.
> 
> I've always had a little bit of a 'thing' for Mr Bates and Thomas.  
> I don't particularly find Mr Bates attractive (Thomas I certainly do, oh boy) but a part of me finds the idea of a forbidden relationship between those two a tad hot. There, I said it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little crack story.

The situation had gotten completely out of hand. John had not intended to keep his hands pressed against Thomas’s chest for so long and he certainly didn’t mean to stare at the footman’s parted red lips. His plan had only been to frighten the footman, to warn the young man that his bullying of William was to stop immediately. A bitter taste had always filled John’s mouth whenever he had witnessed Thomas making scathing belittlements towards William and he was furious that the selfish little prat was stringing poor Daisy along, tricking the naive kitchen maid into believing he felt genuine affection for her.

It had been years since John had touched another man so intimately. Of course his work as a valet meant that he had made physical contact with men over the years but he had never found himself attracted to any of his employers, not even the younger Robert Crawley when he had served as his batman during the war. Lord Grantham was somewhat handsome for an older man and he had sparkling eyes that shone with emotion, a sign to the world that the heart of a youth beat within his aging chest. The one and only time John had truly found his eye wandering in the direction a man had been when he was attracted to an old friend of his, Michael Connolly. For all they were close, Michael had been a true ladies man. John kept his infatuation a secret and sadly, he had lost touch with the man after the war. Now, John couldn’t take his eyes off Thomas’s lips. The man’s red mouth brought a bizarre sense of déjà vu to John as he remembered Michael’s lips and by god, even he couldn’t hold a candle to Thomas. John was frozen, unable to tear his eyes away from the handsome footman. Thomas was definitely a looker, no one could deny that he was easy on the eye but it wasn’t until now, standing centimetres away from the lad, that John realised just how handsome the footman was. His pale looked like it would be as soft as a rose petal to touch, smooth as silk. His red mouth gently closed and John could sense the young man gaping at him, no doubt confused as to why John’s grip on his shirt was weakening. Before the valet could think, his hands slid down the footman’s taut stomach, travelling towards slender hips. Pulling Thomas closer, John whispered, “I know what you are.”

He heard Thomas swallow as the boy’s shoulders slumped, his body losing all composure. John’s lips traced his ear and before the footman could react, the valet quickly nipped at a soft lobe, earning him a startled whimper from Thomas. With another violent push, the footman’s head cracked against the wall, this time creating an even louder thump and John wasted no time attacking his soft, white neck. The distant sounds of creaking floorboards and muted chatter became white noise to John as he lost his mind to lust. He revelled at how pliant Thomas was as he remained still in his arms, emitting small, quiet gasps and hitches that only served to spur the valet on. It felt good to hold the footman’s strong, firm body against his chest, especially when Thomas’s hands reached upwards to clutch desperately at John’s broad shoulders. Slipping a hand down further, John grasped onto Thomas’s pert, shapely buttocks. The quivering man in his arms jumped but he had no way to escape, John’s grip was too tight.

“Mr Bates – you’re…you’re not?” Thomas whispered, his voice almost a squeak. He blushed a deep shade of pink and cleared his throat so he could attempt to speak more coherently but he was startled against when the valet nipped at his neck again, harder.

John was drunk with power, completely lost to the roar of the white noise. He could not think clearly nor hear what the now struggling footman was saying. He pulled the younger man closer and began to lap gently at the base of Thomas’s neck.

“Mr Bates, we’re in the corridor!” Thomas hissed as he tried to pull away from the valet. “Someone could see! William is on the other side of this wall! I’ll let you – you can have me, please just let me go!”

The footman’s words finally registered in John’s mind and the valet understood. He had made a dire error. Immediately he released his grip and Thomas collapsed to the floor, staring up at him blearily as the weight of John’s actions came crashing down onto his shoulders. An icy chill spread across his body and he wanted to be sick, to vomit all over the floor and rid himself of the lust that churned within him.

“I didn’t know that you were like me.” Thomas whispered as he scrambled to his feet. If John had not been so disgusted with himself, he may have found the sight funny; the cool, composed Thomas Barrow scuttling about on the floor like new born deer learning to walk.

John glared at the young man. As Thomas stood at his full height once again, the two men were eye to eye.

“I’m nothing like you.” John spat harshly.

Thomas blinked and for once, he had nothing to say. There was no witty repartee, no biting insult. He didn’t sneer, he didn’t smirk and he didn’t tilt his chin up haughtily. He did not look tall or proud or strong like usual, he looked small. He looked vulnerable, breakable. He looked weak.

“Now you know that I know. Leave William alone.” John snapped, taking a step backwards. Receiving no reply from the footman, John turned and began to hobble away, walking a straight as he was able. Just before he turned his bedroom door handle, he heard Thomas call to him.

“Is this supposed to frighten me, Mr. Bates? Because if it is, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but it's just not working.” Thomas says contemptuously, his face a blank mask.

The footman sneered and turned to walk away. John’s heart sunk at his loss of control, the loss of dominance. At least they were equal now, equal in one too many ways. Thomas knew his secret and John knew his. They could ruin each other and neither would play a clean game.

“Match point,” John whispered to himself before he quietly entered his room.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed reading this.
> 
> I tagged this story as a non-con because Thomas does not consent to Bates's groping and he does not agree to sex with Bates, he only offers his body to him so that Bates can let him go. They're out in the open in the corridor and Thomas will not risk his job like that.  
> I did not intend to make Mr Bates a pervert or a potential rapist in this story, he is simply a man who's feelings come crashing down all at once and he makes an error. Even if I had progressed the story further, John wouldn't have actually hurt Thomas in any way. He would have stopped.  
> Thomas is fine in this story so don't worry.
> 
> I do not condone sexual violence, abuse or harassment.


End file.
